[AstroNet] Update

[Astronomy education in SA - email discussion group]

Hello all
3 quick points:

1. Just a quick update regarding the International Year of Astronomy 
2009 in South Africa:
The National Steering Committee met in Johannesburg on Wednesday (22nd 
August 2007) to tackle the business plan and budget in detail as well as 
to discuss the astronomy resource consolidation.
These discussions were productive and we will proceed accordingly with 
the process of sourcing funding for IYA2009. We are hoping to meet with 
relevant government departments during September 2007.
Decisions on the structure of the resource database were conclusive so 
watch this space for notification of when we launch the initial 
astronomy resources webpage.

2. In the meantime, we continue to seek collaborations with other 
African countries so if you know of potential champions around this 
continent, please put them in contact with me (details below). There is 
an online call out to African countries to join forces for IYA (see 
www.astronomy2009.org.za) - feel free to copy this call to your contacts 
around Africa.

3. In other news, for those who haven't heard already, Google, together 
with NASA/Space Telescope Institute, Sloan Digital Sky Survey, and 
Digital Sky Survey Consortium, has expanded Google Earth to include the 
universe (well part of it anyway)! I've taken it for a test drive and it 
is absolutely brilliant! A great alternative to cloudy nights when you 
promised to show people the stars! Go to 
http://earth.google.com/sky/index.html. (Hint: make sure you have a 
decent internet connection)

Regards
Kevin




-- 
Kevin Govender
Manager: SALT Collateral Benefits Programme
South African Astronomical Observatory
Office: +27 21 460 9350
Mobile: +27 82 487 8466
Fax: +27 21 447 3639
Email: kg at saao.ac.za
Skype: kevindran
Website: www.saao.ac.za / www.salt.ac.za
Postal: P.O. Box 9, Observatory, Cape Town, 7935, South Africa
Street: SAAO, Observatory Road, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa